During a four-day operation in Connecticut, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Boston, working with federal law enforcement partners, arrested 65 individuals who were in the country illegally. The enforcement action, called Operation Broken Trust, took place from August 12 to August 15 and targeted people associated with transnational organized crime, gangs, and those convicted or charged with serious offenses.
According to ICE officials, of those detained, 29 had been convicted or charged in the United States for crimes such as kidnapping, assault, drug offenses, weapons violations, and sex crimes. Others were identified as members of transnational gangs or had criminal backgrounds in their countries of origin.
The operation involved collaboration between ICE’s Hartford field office and agencies including the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
“Sanctuary legislation like Connecticut’s Trust Act only endangers the communities it claims to protect. Such laws only force law enforcement professionals to release criminal alien offenders back into the very communities they have already victimized,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “The state of Connecticut is a safer place thanks to the hard work and determination of the men and women of ICE and our federal partners. Working together, we were able to arrest 65 illegal aliens in just four days throughout Connecticut, many of whom had significant criminality in the United States,”
Connecticut's Trust Act limits how much state and local law enforcement can cooperate with ICE by restricting compliance with detainer requests except under limited circumstances. In May this year these restrictions were expanded further.
“Make no mistake: Every person that we arrested are criminals and breaking federal law, but many of these individuals also victimized innocent people and traumatized communities — rapists, drug traffickers, child sex predators and members of violent transnational criminal gangs,” Hyde said. “They all made the mistake of attempting to subvert justice by hiding out in Connecticut.”
ICE reported that some targets had foreign arrest warrants or Interpol Notices; several were wanted by authorities abroad but remained on Connecticut streets after local jurisdictions declined to honor immigration detainers.
Among those highlighted by ICE:
- Efren Mauricio Guallpa-Shurshanay from Ecuador was convicted for sexual assault.
- Ruben Antonio Fuentes from El Salvador has convictions for drug offenses as well as charges involving weapons and child cruelty.
- Alexander Alberto Guerra-Avila from Venezuela faced arrests related to stalking and assault.
- Jaime Timoteo Gonzalez-Moran from Guatemala was convicted for sexual assault among other offenses.
- Jeremiah Garrido-Morales from El Salvador was arrested for robbery and assault.
- Edwin Andres Calva-Guaman from Ecuador has convictions for larceny as well as domestic violence charges.
- Nileshkumar Pravinbhai Patel from India faces drug trafficking charges involving large quantities of cannabis.
- Henry Morales-Cante from Guatemala faces multiple weapons-related charges.
- Marlon Morales-Cante from Guatemala is charged with conspiracy to commit assault among other offenses.
- Jonathan Alessandro Cordero-Morales from Ecuador faces several charges including violation of protection order.
- Carlos Ernesto Silvestre-Sanchez from Guatemala faces sexual assault charges.
- Jonatan Cruz-Najera from Guatemala was arrested for assault-related offenses.
- Miguel Coello-Farfan from Peru faced sex offense charges that were later reduced; he was pardoned by the State of Connecticut.
All individuals detained during Operation Broken Trust are expected to remain in custody pending removal proceedings or deportation.
Members of the public can report suspicious activity at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or through an online tip form.
More information about ICE’s activities is available on X at @EROBoston.
